Kuwait election results likely today
Kuwait headed to the polls for the third time in three years on Thursday, just months into the reign of a new emir. Elections have become an almost annual occurrence for the OPEC member country, which has seven per cent of the world’s oil reserves and the Gulf ’s most powerful elected assembly.
Almost 835,000 voters are eligible to choose 50 MPS from 200 candidates, including just 13 women, in only the second Kuwaiti election held during Ramadhan.
Polls opened from 12 pm and will close at 12 am (09:00-21:00 GMT). Results are expected on Friday, followed by the resignation of the first government appointed by the new emir.
“Kuwait’s participatory politics is unmatched in the region,” Kuwait University political analyst Bader al Saif said.
“Its system requires a reset and urgently needed reforms no doubt, but the fact that it enables its citizens to express themselves and have a say in governance makes it different.”
Sheikh Meshal Al Ahmad al Sabah, formerly the world’s oldest crown prince, came to power aged 83 in December after the death of his half-brother and predecessor, Sheikh Nawaf.
He took aim at both the cabinet and parliament in his inaugural speech to the assembly, and then announced an era of “reform” as he picked Kuwait’s first foreign minister from outside the ruling family.
But in February, the national assembly was dissolved once again, accused in a royal decree of constitutional violations including “offensive and inappropriate language”, after a lawmaker responded to the emir’s criticism.
Thursday’s polls -- the third since 2022, and the fourth in five years -- are unusual as the incoming parliament will be tasked with approving Sheikh Meshal’s choice of crown prince, Kuwait’s future emir.
If the assembly takes the unprecedented step of rejecting his heir, Sheikh Meshal will submit three candidates for the parliamentarians to choose from.
“This democratic process is different from the previous ones,” said Ibrahim Dashti, one of the election candidates. “The next parliament may contribute to determining who will be the crown prince, that is, who will be the next emir of Kuwait,” he added.